March 11 | Luke 11:29-53

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DAILY READING

Luke 11:29-53

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REFLECTION

 The Sign of Jonah

By Pam Mann

When Luke started his good news account to Theophilus, he wrote “that you might know the certainty of the things which you have been taught.” (Luke 1:4) Here, in Luke 11, with its bad news woes from Jesus, Theophilus and subsequent readers, like ourselves, can be assured that Luke is giving the straight story. No sugar coating here. No spin.

If you fall short of what is needed, a good coach will let you know.

The crowds increase and they want to see more signs and wonders.

So, Jesus offers to all of us, who are falling short of what is needed, the sign of Jonah.  But Jesus does not compare our wicked generation to Jonah. No. He compares us to the foreign depraved Ninevites! And that’s not all. He prophesies that at the judgment the vile Ninevites, our enemies, will rise up and condemn us. Us! Those dastardly Ninevites, who had only barely escaped destruction, thanks to Jonah’s preaching, will condemn us! This Jesus dares to condemn us, the offspring of Abraham, the chosen people of God?  

Jesus warns us that there is one greater than Jonah here.

The Jonah story, however, is not enough of an example. Jesus cites also another example in the Queen of the South, another foreigner, in awe of Solomon’s wisdom. Jesus says that she also will rise up at the judgment to condemn this wicked generation.

Jesus warns us that there is one greater than Solomon here.

Nobody wants to be labeled wicked. We want to believe we’re basically good, headed in the right direction to do what is right. But, when we’re headed the wrong way, we need someone to stop us, to call us back, before we drive off a cliff to our own destruction.

Jesus says one statement of woe after another in Luke 11 to warn his hearers. He wants to call them back to safety, to save them from destruction. Luke reports in Luke 11:53-54 that the Pharisees and law experts began to oppose him even more fiercely after this encounter.

May God rescue us from such a foolish reaction to God’s pronouncement of judgment in our lives. May we instead embrace the truth in James 1:22-24. Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

PRAYER

Precious Jesus, thank you that You are greater than Jonah, greater than Solomon, and greater than our willful brokenness. Work in our proud hearts that we might know profoundly our need for Your grace and mercy.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PAM MANN

I first joined UALC when my husband (then my fiancé) and I were college students involved in youth ministry. God has used UALC to nurture our family’s faith, even in our years outside the U.S. I’ve participated in UALC ministries with kids, art, prayer, exercise, ESL, and Bible teaching. I do all the fun church things.

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